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MKE COMMUNITY IMPACT COMMITTEE

City of Milwaukee - Office of the City Clerk

Welcome

The MKE Community Impact Committee is a City of Milwaukee committee tasked with developing a community-led process for allocating funds within the MKE Community Impact Fund. The City has allocated $600,000 for a community budgeting process focused on community-led public safety solutions.

Establishment

The MKE Community Impact Committee was established by Common Council File Number 250489. The Committee was established to develop a method for allocating funds within the MKE Community Impact Fund, present that method to the Common Council for review and approval, and administer distribution of those funds until all funds have been expended. It is the desire of the Common Council that the Fund be expended through a resident-led, community participatory budgeting program.

The Committee was championed by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, who represents Milwaukee's 6th aldermanic district and is one of the lead sponsors of the participatory budgeting initiative that established this committee. Alderwoman Coggs has noted that the concept of participatory budgeting was introduced in the past by community organizations, including the African-American Roundtable and Liberate MKE, and although prior legislation supported participatory budgeting, funding had not previously been allocated for it. Based on her research, she established this steering committee to establish guidelines, with research support from the City Comptroller that helped shape the enabling legislation.

The funding originates from the City's approximately $394 million in ARPA funding for 2021 and 2022. As part of 2024 budget adjustments, $2.4 million was allocated to a separate Council-led Transformational Fund, with $600,000 of that amount designated specifically for the MKE Community Impact Committee to oversee. The enabling legislation specifies that funds be used for non-police public safety solutions.

Our Charge

The Committee's charge is to devise a methodology for allocating funds within the MKE Community Impact Fund and to present a proposal to the Common Council. This may include, but not limited to, developing:

  • The program structure and definition
  • The rulebook for how proposals will be submitted, reviewed, and selected
  • The method for accepting proposals from the community
  • Recommendations for implementation and oversight

The Committee is also charged to administer distribution of MKE Community Impact Funds until all funds have been expended.

Committee Membership Structure and Members

The Committee is comprised of 11 appointed members as follows:

  • The Budget & Management Director or designee.
  • The Comptroller or designee.
  • The Administration Director or designee.
  • The City Attorney or designee.
  • Seven city residents appointed by the Common Council President in consultation with other Council members. Appointed residents shall reflect a cross section of the city.

Current members and staff support to the Committee are:

Chair: Amanda Avalos
Vice-Chair: Anita Johnson

Members:
Nik Kovac, Bill Christianson, Steve Mahan, Jordan Schettle, Brook Stanley, Tammy Rivera, Jamaal
Napoleon, Christlyn Frederick-Stanley, and Ashley Harrell

Staff Support:
Staff Assistant, Chris Lee | 414-286-2232 | [email protected]
Legislative Liaison, Beka Bein | 414-286-3789 | [email protected]

Monthly Meetings

The full Committee meets monthly in hybrid fashion on the second Tuesday at 5:00 PM, barring any
changes.

Location: City Hall, 200 E. Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Virtual Access: GoToMeeting.

Agendas and access information are posted at least 24 hours in advance and meeting minutes are posted on the City's Legislative Calendar website.

Meeting materials for current, past, and upcoming meetings can be found in File 251987 - Communication relating to the activities of the MKE Community Impact Committee on the City's Legislative Portal.

Planned Work Groups and Meetings

The Committee formally established three work groups:

Eligible Projects & Proposals Work Group

Focus: Develop definition and criteria for eligible proposals, provide limits on funding per
proposal, applicant requirements, define proposal and funding timelines, process of sharing
proposals and voting guidelines.

Community Building & Outreach Work Group

Focus: Define community vision and goals, organize outreach efforts, engage with community-
based organizations.

Rulebook & Online Organization Work Group

Focus: Drafting the rulebook, program language, and online structure for how the process will
work.

Work groups will meet between full Committee meetings. Meeting dates, times, and locations will be posted on the City's Legislative Calendar website. Additional informational for sharing will be made available as work groups provide them. If you are interested in supporting a work group, please contact Staff Assistant Chris Lee.

November Deadline

Through subsequent legislation via Common Council File Number 251908, the Committee's current focus is meeting its November 1, 2026 deadline to the Common Council. By November, the Committee aims to have a program package ready to present, including the program structure, the rulebook, and the methodology for accepting proposals from the community. The program will not be launched or published to go live before Council review and approval.

Further Information to Come

This page will be updated as the committee progresses in its work.

As the Committee progresses and once the program is approved and ready for launch, this page may be updated with:

  • Rulebook and program definition
  • The process for how community members can submit ideas and proposals
  • FAQs and outreach materials with QR codes for sharing
  • A digital application form, if applicable, when the proposal period opens